


North of Nowhere

by Toadflame



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: (at least typical for Firefly), Alternate Universe - Firefly Verse, Alternate Universe - Space, Blood and Gore, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Relationships to be added - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-02
Updated: 2015-04-20
Packaged: 2018-03-15 23:15:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3465605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toadflame/pseuds/Toadflame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan Haywood, captain of Firefly-class vessel <em>Achievement Hunter</em>, already had enough trouble with the Alliance with his, ahem, slightly less than legal work.  He really did <em>not</em> need the shitstorm of Alliance secrets.</p>
<p>Firefly AU wherein Achievement Hunter gets in way over their heads. <strong>-Formerly known as Back to the Room Where It All Began</strong></p>
<p>-----<br/><em>now the dark begins to rise | save your breath, it's far from over</em><br/>-Breaking Benjamin, "I Will Not Bow"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> FORMERLY KNOWN AS "BACK TO THE ROOM WHERE IT ALL BEGAN". RT AU based on the television series _Firefly_. If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's a space western set in another universe following the crew of a ship called Serenity.
> 
> There's another one of these floating around based more on a GTA-esque setting than on Firefly, but this one is inspired more by the show itself. If you've seen the show, you might recognize many of the elements. I've, of course, adapted them to suit my own needs, and of course it won't be ENTIRELY the same.
> 
> While this chapter (the prologue) has none, Firefly uses a modified version of Chinese (the reason why is a minor basis of plot, where basically the US and China banded together to send people into a new universe since Earth was dying, and both languages were kept). I will be providing translations at the end of each chapter, as why put witty swearing in if no one can understand it? It's very mild, however, so whenever you see it you know it's just colorful language.
> 
> Updates Mondays. Previous title from the Panic! At the Disco song titled "Nine in the Afternoon", new title from the song "Glowing" by The Script.

_hot sweat and blurry eyes | we’re spinning round a rollercoaster ride | the world stuck in black and white_

-Boys Like Girls, “Lovedrunk” 

**Prologue**

 

The sky lit up briefly, a flash streaking across the sky before impacting on the ground, sending bodies scattering and screams into the air.  Some weaved dizzily, almost drunken, from the impact while others grabbed for them, heading for the trenches dug into the ground.  Others lay still on the ground, unmoved and unmoving.

The sound of gunfire peppered out into the night as wave upon wave of transport ships and fighters weaved across the darkened sky.  More flashes flew from the ships, their whines following the impacts that sent sprays of dirt into the air.  Streaks of laser fire emerged from the trenches, taking down the few who weren't bedded down in the relative safety.

Above ground, away from the last major impact, a man was running flat out across the dangerous landscape.  In his hands, he clutched a laser rifle, scope bent out of shape.  Despite this, the rifle still seemd functional, as he fired it every so often.  He was dressed in a long coat, brown as the dirt below his feet, and his blond hair was dirt-crusted and lank.  He ducked behind a rock as the area around him was sprayed in laser fire, panting heavily from exertion.

Sticking his head out from behind it proved to be a bad idea, and he jerked back into cover as someone spotted him and fired.  Chips of rock flew away with each blast in his direction.  He wiped the hair stuck to his forehead as he waited for the Alliance firing to slow down again.

“Okay, Ryan,” he muttered to himself.  He stared toward his destination, spotting another good-sized chunk of earth as another stopping point.  “Across to the next rock in three...two…”

He sprinted, low to the ground, and managed to duck enough fire to make it to the cover.  Little mud huts were in sight now, which Ryan knew led down into his side's trenches.  The huts provided the men a minutely safer way out of the trenches, as well as serving as a base of operations for the officers.  Scrub brush dotted the landscape most of the rest of the way, providing more cover.  He darted between bushes, taking opportunities to shoot at his enemy.  When he hit the last bit of brush, he'd taken down three of the other side.

Now not far from the hut, he could see someone waving wildly.  Steeling his determination, and hoping the Alliance thought he was still back at the last clearing, he booked it.

Narrowly avoiding the last shot as he dove into the hut, he panted heavily on the ground.  He looked up to see all manner of weaponry pointed at him, but one of them recognized him.

“Ryan!” the man exclaimed.  “I thought you were with the 13th!  What's going on out there?”

Ryan took a heavy swig from the canteen around his neck, sighing heavily once the lukewarm water was down.  “I was,” he said, pushing himself up and off the ground.  “They’ve taken the trenches.  I don’t know where anyone else is.  They started throwin’ flashbangs and tear gas in.  I don’t know who else is alive over there, Geoff.”

Geoff swore violently, and pointed at a younger man against one of the walls.  “We've been tryin’ to reach Command for half an hour now.  They stopped responding ten minutes ago until we get a corporal’s code.  Too bad the only one here who knows it is _dead_!”  Geoff swung his arm around to point at a body on the ground, slumped against the wall of the hut.

Ryan strode over to the body, inspecting it quickly.  He reached over and tore the rank patch off his sleeve, smirking when the needed code was printed on the back.  “Congratulations, Benson,” he said to the younger man at the radio.  “You’ve just gotten a promotion.  Get us some goddamned air support!

“We still have a chance while this trench is here,” he added to Geoff.  “If we can get air coverage we can knock them back and get back to our Anti’s.”

Geoff grinned, slow and worn, face covered in grime.  “Still got a chance,” he said, something like relief on his face.  “Looks like we don’t _all_ have the luck of the 13th!”

“Don’t speak too soon,” Ryan warned, flinching slightly at the mention of his newly-deceased platoon.  “We’ve still gotta keep hold of Serenity Valley here.  And the Alliance isn't going to give up without a _damn_ long fight.”

The gunfire around them started to drown out as new, _more_  aircraft whines filled the skies.  Ryan whooped, turning to Benson at the radio.  “They’re here?!  They came?!”

The other’s face was white, and the enthusiasm began to drain from Ryan as mild terror set in.  If those weren't their men...

“They’re telling us to stand down,” Benson whispered, but it sounded like he’d shouted.  Ryan froze, numbly turning to Geoff.  Geoff’s normally sleepy eyes were wide, and Ryan watched as they hardened immediately.

“No,” Geoff ground out, vehemently.  “There’s no way!  All this fighting, all this death...they’re going to _give up?!"_

Benson's croak of affirmation broke Ryan’s numb panic, and he raced from the hut.  The sky was green with lights, and he stared in horror at the aircraft filling it.

Aircraft, _their_ aircraft, that was leaving atmo at what looked like lightspeed.  Alliance aircraft was landing behind their own lines, and the overwhelming sounds of celebration was interspersed with potshots of laserfire into the sky.

But Ryan only had eyes for the men leaving them behind in the valley of Serenity.

* * *

 

_Six months later_

Geoff tuned out the droning of the salesman’s (rehearsed) pitch on the Thunderbird they'd been looking at, letting Ryan to ask the questions.  All the ships they’d been shown were good, great even, but nothing really _spoke_ to him.  A good ship had personality, something that told you to stop and look.  Geoff had yet to find that something.

They had a wide selection of ships to choose from as well, plenty of decently working ones interspersed with ones that looked about half a step out of the scrapyard.  As Geoff walked away, leaving Ryan to the salesman’s tender mercies, the gut feeling of something just around the corner intensified.

He picked his way around a pile of junk pretending to be a ship, eyeing the Sandfly next to it when he finally saw her, sitting near the actual scrapyard in the back of the shipyard.  She was a Firefly, an older one at that, that looked about ten minutes away from being nothing more than scrap.  Geoff knew, however, that Fireflies were notorious for being solid and reliable, especially the older models like her.

A good Firefly, well-loved and maintained, was a lifetime investment.  Of course, that applied to ships that were working, and in good condition, but from long experience, Geoff knew that could be fixed.

“What’d you find?”  Ryan had apparently followed him, and Geoff wordlessly pointed her out.  She was going to become his baby, one way or another, desite his and Ryan's agreement to be in together, 50/50.  The salesman was looking between the two of them and the Firefly, brow furrowed and confusion plain on his face.

“That Firefly,” Geoff said, uselessly pointing her out.  The salesman had to know which one they were looking at.  “How much is she?”

The man looked at the ship again before shaking his head in incredulity.  “That one was slated for scrap tomorrow," he said.  "She don’t fly at all, but we have some parts that might be right.  She needs a lot of work, though.  You _sure_ you want that one?”

Ryan looked at Geoff, one eyebrow quirked up in question.  Geoff nodded, determined.  Between them, they could get her flying again, a real piece of artwork in the Black.  Ryan sighed, sounding resigned, and turned back to the salesman.

“How much?” he repeated firmly.


	2. chapter.1: into.the.black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (absolutely did NOT forget to post this because when I thought about it, I wasn't able to post it)
> 
> Translations provided at the bottom!

_and you bought a ticket | but you don’t know where you’re going_

-The Script, “Glowing”

\-----

chapter.1

into.the.black

_eavesdown.docks | persephone_

 

The Eavesdown docks were crowded, always were, but there was just enough dirt open for _Achievement Hunter_ to set down between a Thunderbird surveyor and a Sandfly.  The engines cut, and the lock door hissed open.  From the front, the ramp lowered, revealing five figures blending into the darker interior.

The first stepped out, boots crunching against the brittle grass, hand held over his eyes to shield his face against the hot sun and blowing wind.

“Listen up!”  The man’s voice was deep and commanding, but retained the fullness that spoke of youth.  “We’re not going to be here long, three hours max!  Jack, you and Michael are getting supplies.  Get us restocked on food, water, and fuel as fast as you can, enough for a couple weeks.  Ray, you’re with the ship.  Get us some passengers if you can, but only if they’re headed out to the Rim.  Geoff, you and I are headed out with the mule to Burnie’s old place; he might have a job for us.”

The men standing on the lowered ramp didn’t wait for their captain to dismiss them, instead jumping into action.  One walked back in, while two others headed off and into the docks for, assumedly, their supplies.  The fourth reached into a pocket, pulling out a game system as he sat down on the ramp.

The one who’d gone in came out again, this time on a hover vehicle with a trailer attached.  The captain swung himself up into the passenger seat, but stopped right before sitting.

“Ray.”  The man who’d sat, Ray, looked up at the man.  “Actually try for some passengers, _dohn lu mah_?”

“Yeah, yeah.”  The dark-haired man sighed and stood, walking back into the ship.  “I make no promises!”

“I wouldn’t ask you to!” the captain yelled back, sitting heavily in the seat.  The other, Geoff, patted him even as he guided the mule through the ships in port.

“Don’t worry, Ryan.  Ray will get us someone, and Burnie’ll spot us a job,” he said, and throttled up as they reached the outskirts of the docks.  “We have some money in reserve, dude, we’ll be fine.”

“It’s been weeks, Geoff,” Ryan said, running a hand through his dirty blond hair.  “We’ve been running on fumes for weeks, and that last job we tried to do for Burnie went south.  He’s not forgiving.”

It didn’t take long to reach the dry plains outside the reaches of the Eavesdown docks, and the terrain flew past.  Ryan glanced behind them as they traveled, but didn’t see anyone following in the dust flying in their wake.  Another ten minutes of travel and they were slowing down, a series of tents and wooden buildings in view.

The worrying part, however, was the way the few women of the area were hurried indoors, and various carbines and assault rifles were aimed at them distrustfully.

“Looks like we’re not welcome here…” Geoff muttered, fingers twitching as he refused to reach for the pistol strapped to his hip.

“ _How w’rin bu lai_ ,” Ryan murmured back.  They walked towards what passed for a main building, to be stopped by a gun blocking the doorway.

The burly-looking blond blocking the way gestured sharply with the weapon.  “State your business,” he said, making brief eye contact with another man standing just inside the doorway.

“Here to talk to Burnie about a job,” Ryan said, confidently; the pistol strapped to the small of his back weighed heavily against him, and the itch to reach for it was long-ingrained and, even, a bit of a comfort.

The man inside disappeared briefly, whispering something in Blond’s ear when he returned.  The man nodded sharply, removing his gun from the doorway to let them through.  Ryan and Geoff exchanged glances, but headed inside.

\-----

Ray tapped intently on the padd held in his hand, a game he didn’t care much about playing across the screen.  He didn’t use it a lot, but when he was doing the more mundane of his duties - watch the ship, get passengers, things he didn’t need to keep too close an eye on - it was nice to have the distraction.

He looked up when he heard the crunch of someone approaching, too early to be any of the others.  He closed the holographic screen, standing up and shading his eyes against the glare of the sun.

The man in front of him was tall and skinny, built a bit like a twig.  His hair stood up, flying in all directions, and as he drew closer, a rather large nose.  One hand held a bright red bag, while a larger, black bag was slung across his back.

“Yo,” Ray said when he stopped.  “You lookin’ for passage?”

The man jumped a bit, laughed nervously, but ran a hand across the back of his neck in a sheepish motion.  “Er, yeah,” he said, voice accented lightly with that of a Core dweller.  If Ray had to hazard a guess, he’d say he was from Londinium.  “Headed towards the Rim, Salisbury specifically.”

Ray wondered why he was headed so far out; the man was dressed in well-to-do clothes, complete with pressed slacks, a button-up shirt, and shiny shoes.  Seemed like a man so well-dressed would be more at home in the Core.  “Ain’t my business where you’re headed, exactly,” he answered, “but if you’re lookin’ for passage and can pay, then we’ve got the space for you.”

The man seemed to sag in relief, and answered, “I can pay, yeah.”

“Then that’s all that matters,” Ray said, matter-of-factly, and reached out to shake the man’s hand.  “I’m Ray, and this beauty is _Achievement Hunter_ , Firefly class.  She’ll getcha where you need to go, and safely.  There’s no ship like a Firefly.”

“Gavin, Gavin Free,” the man answered, and Ray gestured him aboard.

\-----

“Well, well, well.”  Burnie Burns was not a man to mess with, Geoff knew.  Despite having served with both him and Ryan during the Unification War, he really didn’t know much about the man.  Mostly, that Burnie had turned his back against his well-to-do family, became a browncoat, and when the war had ended, had returned to Persephone to start up his own business.  If it could be called that.

“Burns,” Ryan said, nodding.  The captain could play cordial when the time called for it; if the guns pointed at them were any indication, now was a good time.

“Haywood, and the...mechanic.”  Geoff nearly reached for the butt of his pistol, but Ryan’s hand was on his before he’d even gotten that far.  “Didn’t expect to see you two come back here.  Not after the last job.”

“That wasn’t any of our faults,” Geoff said, staring intently at the man.  “Alliance stumbled on us before we could get the cargo, then took the goods before we got back.”

The other man raised an eyebrow.  “Oh sure, I _understand_ , but when I give you a job, I expect it to be done.  Not incomplete and then given excuses.”

Ryan laughed, harsh and loud in the quiet cabin.  “You make it sound like we stabbed you in the back,” he said derisively.  “We had a few incidents happen that job, and I hear second chances are good for restoring faith.”

Burnie sighed, leaning back in his chair.  “I’m rather disinclined to give you a job, you know.  You’re not very...reliable, anymore.”

“ _Jin joh bu chi chi fah joh_ , Burns, it’s just a job.  A favor, if you will.”  Geoff didn’t like the look in Burnie’s eye, especially as the man leaned back in the chair he was sat in.

“Funny that you’re warning me against that, Haywood.  If I recall, we just said you and your crew are at fault over the last job I gave you.”  Geoff saw the man standing right behind Burnie tense, finger curling tighter around the trigger, and he reached slowly for his own weapon.  Burnie laughed suddenly, breaking the tension.

“Aw, hell, why not?  I must be moonbrained, but I’ll give you a second chance.”  Burns leaned forward, intent.  “And this time, don’t mess up.  I have some supplies, hot, to get out to Whitefall.  Meg Turney, I’m sure you know her.”

Geoff vividly recalled the vivacious redhead and her equally deadly partner, Ashley Jenkins.  The last time they’d gone out to Whitefall, Ryan had ended up with a bullet hole in his side.  By the look in his eye, Burnie knew of the incident as well.

“Yep, that one.  Don’t let me down, gentlemen; I might just make things a bit more... _painful_ , than a bullet wound.  Gus here will show you to the cargo.”

He stopped them just before they walked out the door.  “And don’t worry, Captain Haywood,” Burnie said, sounding cheerful now.  “I won’t forget that this is also a favor.  Meg will be waiting for you to contact her.”

\-----

Matt Bragg couldn’t stop his hands from shaking.  Too much caffeine and not enough sleep was more than enough to send him into near-panic when someone moved wrong.  He was a walking target and it was more than obvious to anyone with half a brain.

Luckily, the Alliance soldiers stationed on the Eavesdown docks didn’t seem to have half a brain together.  Otherwise, he’d have already been caught and on his way to a federal prison.

The back of his mind thought continually of his box, ‘safely’ sequestered away at the little inn he’d been staying in the past day.  When he’d gotten in, the first thing he’d done was crash.  Now, he was trying to find a ship.  The day was getting late, and most ships had already left; those that were left weren’t leaving until morning.

“We have twenty minutes to get this on board and stowed before we leave!” a voice yelled, and Matt perked up.  He ran towards the collection of three ships where the voice had come from.  The first one was the origin, ramp down and a vehicle stopped in front of it.  A group of five men were hefting large crates onto the ship.

From the sounds, they were headed out, and soon.  Matt could’ve kissed the ground, but he didn’t have the time.

“Uh, ‘scuse me,” he called out, moving closer.  Two of the men turned to look at him, and he gulped nervously.  “Er, I’m looking for passage.  Out, that is, to the Rim.”

The scrawnier, shorter of the two shrugged.  “We have the room, Ry,” he said, looking closer at Matt.  “We only have three passengers.”

“The Rim, you say?” the one called Ry asked, walking across to meet him.  “Passage isn’t cheap, you know.  500 credits, and anything needin’ to be stowed will cost another hundred.”

Matt bit his lip.  A lot of people had haggled with him, but refused once he mentioned he had a crate.  This one seemed like he’d take him, crate and all, and he couldn’t afford to not take it at face-value.  “Done.  I have a crate…” he said.  The man nodded, quick and sharp.

“I’ll take you on our mule, it’ll be faster,” he said.  They shook hands, and ten minutes later were back.  Matt huffed, feeling behind him with his foot as he helped carry the crate up the ramp.

The vehicle that had been there before was gone, and there was no sign of the crates they’d been moving in the cargo bay.

\-----

Ryan pulled himself up the last rung of the ladder into the cockpit, where Michael was already checking lift-off procedures.  The clear came over the radio, and the curly-headed brunette grinned wildly at his captain.

“Ready to go, sir!” he said, saluting from his seat.  Ryan smiled back, reaching up for the mic of the radio.

“Get us in the air, Michael, I want to leave atmo yesterday,” he said, then into the mic, “Attention, folks aboard _Achievement Hunter_ , we are cleared for lift-off.  We will be leaving atmo shortly, I suggest you strap in.”

He put the mic back, and watched through the front window as the planet faded away below them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS
> 
> A reminder that the source of these translations can be found [right here!](http://firefly.wikia.com/wiki/Dictionary) -Edit: The link should work now!
> 
>  _Dohn lu ma_ : Are we clear?  
>  _How w’rin bu lai_ : Things never go smooth(ly)  
>  _Jin joh bu chi chi fah joh_ : A warning against doing things the hard way; literally, “choosing to sip the wine of penalty over that of respect”


	3. chapter.2: fronts.and.farces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter this week, but the first plot point picks up a bit if that's any consolation?
> 
> Actually, real consolation, the prologue got redone a bit, so that's much better now. Also, new summary, possibly a better title in the works idea...what more could you ask for?
> 
> (A lot. There's a lot more you could ask for. What was I even thinking?)

_i know things are looking up | but soon they’ll take us down | before anyone knows our name_

-OneRepublic, “All the Right Moves”

\-----

chapter.2

fronts.and.farces

_space_

 

The idea of black around them again was a comfort to Ray.

Having been born in space, to settlers on their way out to Deadwood, he’d grown up around stories of the journey.  He, of course, remembered nothing of the journey; three weeks was not enough time to form new memories, but his parents had told stories of the journey.  Of the deep blackness that seemed to stretch forever, the brilliant pinpricks of light from stars, the passing of previously terraformed and settled planets and moons.

It had fascinated him, as a child on a backwater planet compared to the sleek cities in the Core.  Ray had spent countless nights out in the grass, staring at the sky and learning every constellation by heart.

As an adult, he was a little less-enamored by the darkness around him, but that was because he finally got to see it daily.

Ray mused on this as he stood behind Ryan, who was playing host and letting each person introduce themselves.  There was Lindsay Tuggey, a beautiful redhead whose every move seemed to be filled with an innate, flawless grace.  Gavin Free, the awkward man who was apparently a doctor (Ray would have never, in any of his wildest dreams - or even nightmares -, pegged Gavin as a medical professional.  The man had nearly thrown up headed up, then gagged at just the thought of having blown chunks).  Miles Luna, who only said he was from Persephone and was looking for a change of scenery (which Ray found odd; it was rare that someone from the Core would go to the border for any reason that _wasn’t_ related to settling down out there, especially when they took passage on a ship like _Achievement Hunter_ ).

And then there was Matt Bragg, their strange, last-minute passenger.  He hadn’t said anything worth knowing really, seemed nervous and a bit out of it.  Ray did happen to notice that he and Gavin kept looking at each other, probably when they thought no one was looking.

Bad for them, Ray was always looking.

“Well, there’s not much really that I want to tell you guys.  The kitchen is, well, self-explanatory really.  It’s always available to you, standard fare with protein any color you could want.  We do some sit-down meals, the next one occurring about 1800.  We don’t have much for fresh fruit or veggies, but we’ll use what we have.

“Other than that, I ask you to stay in the passenger dorms through the flight.  The bridge, cargo hold, and engine room are all off-limits without an escort.  This is a safety precaution, and a security concern for us.”

The four passengers looked at each other, but Lindsay seemed to be the only one brave enough to step forward.  “Sir, I believe we all have some personal effects in the cargo hold-”

“We planned for that,” Jack interjected, after sharing a quick glance with Ryan.  “We’ll be taking you there after this meeting to gather anything you might need.”

Ryan nodded, adding, “If you need to go there again for any reason, ask one of the crew and we’ll escort you down there.  Any other questions?”

He waited a beat, and when no one was forthcoming, said, “There’s just one last thing we need to share with you.  We have been ordered by the Alliance to take some medical supplies to Whitefall, fourth moon of Athens.  It’s a bit out of the way, but only by a day.  We’ll be on Aberdeen, the main hub of the Rim planets, in about a week including the stop, so y’all can be on your way from there.”

“What kind of medical supplies?” Free asked.  He sounded genuinely interested, as well as mildly disapproving.

Ray exchanged glances with Ryan, who said, “Don’t know, didn’t ask.”

“Probably antibiotics, insulin, anything they might need on a quiet planet that they can’t make out there,” Ray added.  “There’s not enough tech that gets sent out that way to make highly efficient medication, so the Alliance and the Core planets send out medical supplements as needed.”  That didn’t seem to placate Gavin, though, who retained a lightly mulish look on his face.

Jack stepped forward, smiling at the little group in an effort to release the tension that had built in the room.  “If that’s all for now, I’ll take you down to the cargo bay for anything you need.”

Ray took up the rear, following Gavin through the ship into the hold.  The four passengers headed directly for the trunks and bags stored against one wall, and Ray watched them from the upper catwalk with Ryan next to him.

Lindsay was digging through a box containing various little containers, while Miles looked inside a fairly large, oddly-shaped bag before grinning satisfaction.

“What do you think of them?” he asked Ryan quietly, nodding to the passengers.  “They’re a quiet group.”

“All the better,” Ryan answered, then dragged a hand down his face.  “I have a feeling this isn’t gonna go smoothly.  You know how I feel about things going smoothly.”

Ray shook his head, watching as Miles “accidentally” bumped into Matt, who was leaned into his duffle bag.  “There’s something funny going on,” he said.  “I don’t like it.”

Ryan opened his mouth to respond, but the speakers crackled loudly before Michael’s voice said, “ _Captain Haywood to the bridge.  Like, now._ ”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Ryan muttered, leaving Ray to exchange a glance with Jack.

\-----

Michael’s fingers were flying across the Cortex keyboard as Ryan clattered into the room.  He leaned over the back of the man’s chair, watching as he hit a few more keys before letting his hands rest on the instrument panel.

“What’s wrong, Michael?” he asked, staring at the code on the screen.  “We need to decode a message or something?”

“This is the message I _intercepted_ ,” he said.  “Came from someone on this boat.”

Ryan’s blood ran cold.  “Tell me you scrambled it,” he demanded.  “Who were they hailing?”

Michael nodded.  “Scrambled it to hell, but there’s no telling how much got through.  Someone wanted to get in touch with the Alliance, bad.  They’ve got a pin on us; nearest cruiser is only about 10 klicks, they’ll be on us in an hour.”

“ _Ni ta ma de_.”  Geoff had come up in the time they were talking, catching the tail of the conversation.  He and Ryan exchanged looks while Michael looked between them.

“There’s a mole.”

\-----

Gavin was attempting to peek through the slats of Matt’s crate when Ryan stormed down into the hold a few moments later.

“‘Do no harm’, but only when it suits you?” Ryan snarled, and Gavin whipped around.  He looked...caught, was the only way to describe it, but then schooled his features.

“I don’t know what you’re on about,” he said, rising.  Ryan took the last two steps over and socked him, hard, across his face.  Gavin dropped like a stone, looking woozy as he reached up to brush a hand across the bleeding eyebrow.

Ryan had no sympathy, grabbing him by the coat and slamming him up against the wall of the cargo bay.

“Tell me what you sent,” he hissed.  “And I might not throw you out the airlock.”

“Uh, Captain, he’s not your mole,” another voice to the left of him said.  Ryan whipped his head around to look at Matt Bragg, who pointed behind him.  The sound of a plasma pistol cocking was loud in his ear.  

Ryan turned slowly, letting go of Gavin as he moved.

"Gotta say," he said, staring at the man behind the barrel of the pistol, "I didn't expect this."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [TRANSLATIONS](http://firefly.wikia.com/wiki/Dictionary)
> 
>  
> 
>  _Ni ta ma de_ : Damn everyone in the 'verse


	4. chapter.3: keeping.secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is getting so long. It didn't end anywhere close to where I'd hoped to get, especially considering that I got probably 60% of this chapter written before last week; however, large papers are awful, and this got shortened so that it would come out on time.
> 
> (Trust me, I'm actually really frustrated that this is so short, I was hoping for longer. I WANTED TO GET TO THE GOOD PART DAMMIT)
> 
> WARNING THIS CHAPTER for major character injury (not described in great detail but it happens so watch out), and also for crack medical advice from a non-medical professional.

_can i clear my conscience | if i'm different from the rest?_

-Imagine Dragons, "Monster"

\-----

chapter.3

keeping.secrets

_space_

 

“Captain Haywood, I suggest you put Dr. Free down and step away, before I put a hole in your head.”

Geoff watched from above as Ryan’s eyes squeezed shut, and he muttered an “ _Juh shi suh mo go dohng shee_ ” as the pistol pushed into the side of his head.  He let Gavin go, and the other man’s knees gave out and he slid to the floor.

“Very good.”  Could that _qing wa cao de liu mang_ sound any more smug?  Miles Luna, the _one_ passenger he’d thought they wouldn’t need to keep an eye on, tossed the gun into the air and caught it by the barrel, using it to smash Ryan in the side of the head.  The captain went down with barely a grunt of pain, and Geoff watched him reach up to feel the area with a shaking hand.

Beside him, Michael growled and raised his own pistol, but Luna had already aimed the pistol back up at them.

“I don’t think so, Mr. Jones.  One wrong move, and you’ll find a bullet lodged in your skull.”

Geoff took quick stock of where everyone was in the ship.  Jack was on the floor of the cargo bay, fingers twitching at his sides.  Ray was a catwalk above him, near the docking for Shuttle 2.  Luna didn’t seem to be too concerned about him.  Michael was right next to him, on the catwalk right above the cargo bay.  Ryan was on the ground, stiller than Geoff had seen him except in sleep.  Free was frozen in a half-crouch, where he’d obviously pushed himself up after dropping to the floor.  Bragg was near the entrance leading towards the passenger quarters and medical bay.  Tuggey was nowhere to be seen.

“Dr. Free, I recommend you stay right where you are.  Mr. Bragg, come over here too.”  Luna was calm and collected, a bad sign for anyone wanting to plan a way to take him down - like Geoff wanted to, right this second.

Bragg walked forward, hands up in the surrender signal.  Luna stepped over Ryan to stand next to Bragg, and gestured sharply with the pistol at Jack.

“You - Mr. Pattillo, find a crowbar.”  Jack dragged his feet, making a show of it, and Geoff grit his teeth.  Even as much as it seemed to be annoying Luna, no one seemed to have a weapon in order to take advantage of Luna’s distraction.

Geoff barely managed to keep his weapon down when, when Jack finally got a crowbar out, Luna finally used the gun and shot him in the side.  The crowbar fell with a clatter, and Jack went down with a yell of pain.

“This is what happens when you make me mad.”  The man somehow managed to sound _sorrowful_ , Geoff seethed, as the crowbar was picked up and the gun was pointed back to Bragg.

“Go ahead and take the lid off this box, if you will.”  Bragg took hold of the crowbar, looking rather reluctant, especially with the blood on the , and Geoff couldn’t keep quiet anymore.

“ _You ta ma de hun dan_!” Geoff yelled down, and Luna simply turned to regard him, like a scientist might look at a rather interesting experiment.

“Leave my mother out of this,” Luna said coldly, gun pointed straight for him.  “Or you can join your two crewmates on the gr-”

Luna went down mid-word, and Ryan stood behind him, crowbar in hand.  Sometime, when Geoff had been distracted by Luna, he’d managed to get up and take a good swing at the man’s head.  Free sprinted over to Jack, and Geoff clattered to the cargo bay.

“Let’s get him locked up.”  Ryan had a cut on his forehead, with a long streak of blood down the right side from where he’d gotten pistol-whipped.  Geoff looked between him and Jack.

“What about Jack?” he asked.  Michael had come down, and grabbed Luna’s gun in case he wasn’t out cold.

“Dr. Free?”  Free looked up, quailing a bit as everyone’s gazes were on him.  He had a good mark across his cheek, and Geoff knew it would probably blossom into a spectacular bruise.

“He needs to get medical treatment as soon as possible,” the doctor said, hands pressing around the wound.  Jack grunted, but otherwise kept the pained noises in.  “I could-”

“Wait wait wait,” Bragg said, stepping forward from his previous position near the still-unopened crate.  “Gav, you can’t just go around offering your services to any old _buhn dahn_ who needs it!  Especially since the Alliance is going to be here any minute.”

Ryan cursed wildly, Michael taking that as his cue to get back to the bridge in triple time.  Geoff turned to Bragg, considering the man.

“You’d really let one someone die?” he asked, casually as he could with anger finding a home in his blood, and Bragg swallowed nervously.

“Hard burn away from here, away from _them_ , and Gavin will give you friend medical attention.”

Gavin made a noise of protest, but Geoff didn’t spare him a glance.  Instead, his attention turned to Ryan.  The captain’s lips were pinched, but he nodded.

Geoff went to Jack, letting Free direct him in picking up the redheaded first mate.  Ryan moved over to the hold doors, using the intercom to tell Michael to gun it.

\-----

“How is he?” Ryan asked, quietly, as he walked to where Gavin was slumped against the wall.  They were alone; he’d passed Geoff on his way, the latter wanting a quick scrub to get the blood off his hands (literally; when Ryan had peeked into the infirmary earlier, he’d been helping put pressure over Jack’s wound as Gavin threaded a needle for stitches).  The rest of the crew seemed to have found better things to do, though he’d left Michael on the bridge after assuring that the Alliance cruiser hadn’t gotten a lock on them and nothing had come over the cortex.

“He’s still sleeping, but he woke up almost right after we finished getting the wound closed up and wrapped.  He seemed to recognize Geoff, which is excellent in terms of recovery.”  Gavin scrubbed a hand across his face, looking years older in that moment.  “It’s a waiting game.  As long as he wakes up within the next day or so, he’ll make a full recovery.  He lost a lot of blood, though, and there’s no equipment to do a transfusion.”

Ryan nodded, and then they were stood and sat in an awkward silence for a few moments.  Gavin looked down and away.

“Listen,” he said, suddenly, a few moments later.  Gavin looked up, curiously plain on his face.  “We’re gonna have a meeting, in the cargo hold, and I figure, you and Matt should come along.  You seem to know what’s going on better than we do.”

“Er, yeah, I’ll...I’ll mention it,” Gavin said, and Ryan nodded.  He stood up and walked away, leaving Gavin to sit there.

He met up with Ray on the way, and the two fell into step as they walked down the ship.

“Where’d you put Luna?” Ryan asked quietly.  “I think I’d like to question him before we meet up in the cargo hold again.”

“He’s in one of the passenger dorms,” Ray answered.  “Do you want some help with your conversation?”

Ryan smiled darkly.  “You know, I think I might,” he answered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS
> 
> _Juh shi suh mo go dohng shee_ : What the hell is this crap?  
>  _Qing wa cao de liu mang_ : Frog-humping son of a bitch  
>  _Ta ma de hun dan_ : Mother-humping son of a bitch (there’s four phrases for son of a bitch, it’s great)  
>  _Buhn dahn_ : Idiot, moron; literally, stupid egg


	5. chapter.4: lost.control

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending note will be longer today, all our players are officially in the game and if you're at all familiar with the show, by the end you'll have figured out a good idea of who's who. I will be providing a summary at the end of this chapter right after the translations.
> 
> Ao3 is six hours ahead of me, so it lists this as being published on Tuesday; however, it was still Monday (barely) when I got this up. Part of this chapter also comes all-but word-for-word from the pilot episode of _Firefly_. I've changed the wording to fit the events thus far, but I do want to mention that most of the interrogation sequence is drawn mostly from [the script found here](http://firefly.shriftweb.org/scripts/111.shtml), approximately 2/3 down.
> 
> WARNING THIS CHAPTER FOR: Implied torture, interrogation.

_but all the possibilities | no limits, just epiphanies_

-American Authors, “Best Day of My Life”

\-----

chapter.4

lost.control

_space_

 

Luna’s chair _thunked_ against the floor as Ray and Ryan came into the room that would’ve housed him for the rest of their journey.  The room was sparse, with the bed folded away and only the two kitchen chairs, one taken by Luna, for furniture.  Ray took up a position just inside the door, pistol held loosely in one hand and knife strapped visibly against his left thigh.  Ryan came to a stop right in front of Luna, whose chair was facing the wall perpendicular to the door.

“Come to ask me a few questions, eh?” the man strapped down asked, smirk irritatingly stuck on his face.  Ryan’s face remained stoic, no real expression on his face despite its open look.  Ray smirked to himself, letting only a little of the look onto his face.

“Not really,” Ryan replied, leaning back from Luna.  “Thought we might have a conversation, actually.  Kill a little time until the Alliance arrives.”

Luna laughed, a derisive sound that sounded like ice.  “Is that what we’re going to call this?  Haywood, really, call it what it is.  And I’m not going to tell you a thing.  If you don’t know by now, then really, why _should_ you know?”

Finally, _finally_ , Ryan smiled.  It was harsh, freezing, one that would’ve made anyone not in the room run for cover.  Ray mirrored it, and then let the laser pistol in his hand steady in a low, ready-to-use position.

“Let me tell you a little story, Mr. Luna,” Ryan said quietly.  “See, I’m in a bit of a...tricky situation, shall we say.  But I guess you knew that.  I’ve got myself a ship full of issues and strange folk who’re making life a little more interesting than I’m used to, and to be quite frank, more than I like it to be.  One of the strangest seems to be an Alliance mole who likes to shoot perfectly good first mates whose only crime wasn’t moving fast enough.  Said mole saw fit to give me a pretty little goose egg, and let me tell you,  _that_ was unappreciated.  So, here’s what we’re gonna do about this.  I need to know who you contacted, and how close they are.  Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll even figure out how much you told them before my pilot managed to intercept you.”

Luna’s face flickered briefly at that, and Ryan continued, “Ray here is going to help me do that.”

“And the funny thing is,” Ray said, and when he had Luna’s full attention, he let his finger brush the trigger.  The safety was on, so nothing happened, but the flinch was worth it.  “Ryan didn’t exactly...set a limit, you see.”

Ryan shook his head as if in disappointment.  “We still need him alive, you’ve only got to scare him.”

Ray’s grin was positively shark-like.  “Pain is scary, and a real good incentive for talking.”

Ryan paused as he stepped from the room.  “Just do it right, and don’t let him die,” was all he said before Ray and Luna were alone.  Ray stowed the pistol in his holster, pulling the large knife on his thigh out.  He pulled the chair around, sitting backwards on it while facing Luna, and let it balance on a finger.

“This beauty right here,” he said to a blank-faced Luna, “is Christine.  Named for a _beautiful_ girl I saw the one and only time I’ve been on Sihnon.  Hair long, blacker than night, curly.  She had a figure like…” Ray mimed an hourglass, and the knife fell to the floor.  Luna flinched, again, and Ray looked down to see the knife laying sideways on Luna’s shoe.

“Oh, don’t be a baby, she’s only fallen on you.”  Ray leaned down to pick the knife up, but Luna kicked it away.  “See, this is why I don’t like you.  You don’t treat your weapons special, see.”

Luna sneered at him.  “Would you get to the point?  You don’t realize how much trouble you’re in.”

“Ah yes, not like I’ve _never_ been in trouble with the _law_ before,” Ray said sarcastically.  He shook his head in mock sadness.  “You underestimate me.”

“No, _you_ underestimate _me_ ,” Luna said, waspish as he lost his calm demeanor.  “You’ve never been in trouble like this.  You don’t even know what’s in that box, but it’s going to bring all kinds of shit down on you, and that quiet life your sorry excuse for a captain wants?  That’s never gonna happen as long as that boy-”

Luna’s mouth snapped shut, and Ray’s full-teeth grin came back.  “Now we’re talking,” he said, scooting closer to lean right into the other’s face.  “Why don’t you just keep going…”

\-----

Geoff held his breath, listening to the soft murmurs of Ray and the _hwen dan_ Luna inside the room.  He nodded to Ryan, and the two of them walked away towards the kitchen.

“Think Ray’ll get anything useful out of him?” he asked, using a little water to make a small, strong pot of coffee.  The old machine rumbled to life, and Geoff joined Ryan at the table.

The captain was slumped over, head on his hands, as he said, “I hope so.  He’s the only thing we got that gives us even a tiny advantage over the Alliance in this.  I just wish I fucking knew where to go from here.”

Geoff patted the man’s shoulder, and stood up when the last puff from the coffee maker sounded.  He poured two mugs, and from his store under the sink added a healthy measure of whisky to his.  The other he slid over to Ryan when he walked back over.

“The way our luck tends to go, we’ll get something soon enough,” Geoff soothed, and sipped from the mug in his hands.  “Hell, Ray might be back here in just a-”

“You will not believe what Luna accidentally told me,” Ray said, skidding into the room and nearly taking out the entire table in the process.

\-----

Ryan led the way down into the cargo hold, his crew behind him.  Matt and Gavin were already there, and Tuggey had even put in an appearance.  She appeared freshly washed and pampered, but Ryan didn’t spare her a thought.  He only had eyes for the two men they’d taken on at Persephone.

“So, something interesting came up when we were talking to Mr. Luna,” he began, and anger seeped into his voice.  “Seems you two haven’t told us everything about where you’ve been going.”

Gavin looked nervously around at the crew, but Matt narrowed his eyes at the group.  “See, we figured that you just didn’t really need to know that,” he said, false bravado coloring his words.

“When it concerns my ship and my crew, I need to know _everything_.  Let’s see what you two have to hide.”  Ryan nodded to Michael, who reached down to grab the abandoned crowbar.  Geoff got between Matt and Ryan, though Gavin seemed to only need a warning look in order to drop any thoughts of fighting them.

The crowbar’s teeth bit into the wood, cracking under the pressure.  Ryan kept forcing the break until it began to splinter, moving around to loosen the other sides.  He pushed the lid away, revealing a large, black cryo box.

“Very interesting,” Ryan muttered, noting the delicacy of the instrument panel on front.  “I wonder what happens when I push this...”

That seemed to stir Gavin into action, who attempted to yell a warning.  He was too late; Ryan had already pushed it, and with a hiss, the lid depressurized the interior, sending cold fog in a cascade down the box.

One look inside was all it took for Ryan to groan.  “ _Ai ya jwai leh_ ,” he muttered, dropping the crowbar to the ground.

Geoff whistled, leaned over to see what was inside.  “Gotta admit, this was...about what I expected.”

Ryan’s lips twised into a wry smirk.  “Well, gentlemen,” he said.  “You have a little _less_ explaining to do now.”

Inside the box, curled as small as possible, was a naked man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS
> 
> _Hwen Dan_ : Bastard, jerk; literally, rotten egg  
>  _Ai ya jwai leh_ : Shit on my head
> 
> WHO'S WHO: Main Characters/Who We've Seen So Far  
>  _***Note: Yes, some of them are different than who they would be on the show. However, to fit their characters and who I wanted in what position, a little bit of movement/job shifting was necessary. The_ why _of why they are who they are will be explained in later chapters! (also, had far too much fun in this part oops)_
> 
> **Malcolm Reynolds:** Ryan Haywood, captain of _Achievement Hunter_ and general muscle.  
>  **Zoe Washburn:** Geoff Ramsey, engineer of the ship and general muscle.  
>  **Hoban Washburn:** Michael Jones, pilot of _Achievement Hunter_.  
>  **Jayne Cobb:** Ray Narvaez, Jr., a closet badass who doesn't do much on-board (he's the "public relations" guy).  
>  **Kaylee Frye:** Jack Pattillo, first mate (in name only) of _Achievement Hunter_ and all-around sweetheart.  
>  **Simon Tam:** Gavin Free, klutz extraordinaire and woeful bleeding heart who can't leave well enough alone.  
>  **Sheppard Book:** Matt Bragg, another bleeding heart who really just wants his best friend back.  
>  **River Tam:** Kdin Jenzen, genius and even more of a closet badass than his counterpart Ray.  
>  **Inara Serra:** The beautiful, vivacious, amazing Lindsay Tuggey, who don't take no one's shit.  
>  **Laurence Dobson:** Miles Luna, a wonderful Felix McFuckboy replica (I'm so sorry Miles, I have something in the works that absolutely redeems you from this story!!!).  
>  **Badger:** Michael 'Burnie' Burns, a man who only wants to enjoy his pleasures without people fucking it up ( _really truly it was a fucking simple job ryan_ ).


	6. chapter.5: stranded.in.serenity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I eventually went around with the new title! We're now using North of Nowhere, a line from the song "Glowing" by The Script.
> 
> *stares angrily at chapter* School's a bitch and this chapter didn't wanna write. I don't wanna talk about it.
> 
> But this chapter also concludes the first arc of the story - next week (April 27) will NOT have another chapter again, but the following Monday (May 4) will have an interlude. I don't know if the interlude will lead directly into the next arc, we'll see what school does and such (it should, but the week after wouldn't because of finals)

_take me above your light | carry me through the night_

-Owl City, “Hello Seattle”

\-----

chapter.5: stranded.in.serenity

_whitefall_

 

Michael gripped the steering column of _Achievement Hunter_ with a firm grip, letting her have her way but not letting her get too out of control.  Ryan had directed him to a little outcropping far from the closest settlement, after he’d left a message for Turney to meet him.

Whitefall was one of the moons that had been refurbished when humans had first come to the system, but like most moons, it lacked a lot of resources.  The Alliance, before the war, had sent settlers there, and when they’d sided with the rest of the browncoats, cut off access to severely-needed things like medicine, or even food.

Michael knew, from slightly overheard conversations between Geoff and Ryan, that Meg Turney had taken over right after she’d come back from war, and ruled over the moon with an iron fist.

He powered down the engines to conserve fuel before heading down to the cargo bay.   _Achievement Hunter_ was quiet, a state that Michael didn’t tend to like to see her in, and it was eerie.  He side-stepped Tuggey on his way down to the hold, and had to do a double-take on his way past.

He hadn’t really gotten to see her until now, even in brief, and she was one of the most beautiful women he’d seen (apart from his mother, who would always be the most beautiful, and the couple of Companions he’d seen in passing on Persephone).  She smiled as he passed, and it was only after she passed that he tried to smile back.

“Idiot,” he muttered to himself, turning to continue on.  He stopped next to Jack, who was watching Geoff and Ryan suit up disapprovingly, one hand pressed to his injured side.

“Still trying to convince him to not go?” Michael asked, raising an eyebrow at the scene.  “I’m pretty sure it’s too late.”

Jack huffed a sigh, rubbing his face with his free hand.  “I was really hoping, since he got _shot_ the last time he visited that _jien huo_.”

Ryan fiddled with the harness he had on, pistol already strapped in.  “Burnie smoothed it over,” he said, but Michael caught the ‘I hope’ hissed under his breath.  He and Geoff pulled on a couple jackets, and the two headed for the doors.  Michael followed with Jack, stopping on the ramp while the other two turned around on the ground.

“Get her fired up, Michael,” Ryan said, Ray coming over from the mule to stand next to him.  “We’ll probably be back in a hurry, and I want to take off as quick as we can.  Jack, make sure none of our passengers leave.  Don’t wanna leave them behind when we go.”

Michael nodded, and glanced over to see Jack do the same with a pinched look on his face.  “Don’t worry, Captain,” he said cheerfully.  “She might not shoot you this time.”

Geoff snorted as he, Ray, and Ryan turned to go to the mule.  “That’s a pretty big _might_ ,” he said, and then they were in the mule and flying across the countryside.

Michael closed the inside doors to the airlock, leaving everything else down.  He looked up as Jack walked away, and asked, “Where’re you going?”

“The infirmary,” Jack answered.  “Maybe if we have Gavin on standby, we won’t actually have an issue.”

\-----

Jack looked into the infirmary to see Gavin bent over the man they’d found in the box.  Kdin Jenzen was verifiably insane, judging just from the fit he’d thrown when Gavin brought him to the infirmary after he’d been awoken.  Jack was just glad that he was discharged before Kdin made the mess that decorated the medical bay now.

“Jack!” Gavin said, sounding happy despite the scowls on both his patients’ faces.  “What’s wrong?  Side hurt?  I can give you a little bit more painkillers, but you had a pretty good dose when you left-”

“It’s not me,” Jack said, cutting off Gavin’s next sentence.  “Ryan’s doing something stupid, so I figured I’d warn you that he might come back with a gunshot wound.”

“Right,” Gavin said, nodding once.  “I’ll finish up with Kdin and get ready for a possible surgery.  That all?”

“Yep.”  Jack slipped back out but paused on his way past the door.  There were a few murmurs from inside, Gavin and Kdin talking, before the sound of metal on metal sounded right next to his head.

“Stop listening, or the next one goes into you!” he heard Kdin yell, and Jack didn’t ask _what_ would be going into him.  Instead, he went to the gallery in hopes of finding a little bit of sanity.

\-----

Geoff stood next to Ryan in the little valley that had been the agreed meeting place.  They’d been waiting for longer than he liked, but he also knew that Turney had the run of the planet.  They were at her whims.

“Here she comes,” Ryan said, using a hand to shade his eyes.  In the other, loosely by his side, was a brick of their cargo and a slip of paper.  Geoff flexed his fingers, ready to grab for whatever he might need (the rifle on his back, the pistol on his hip, a knife in his boot) at a moment’s notice.

Turney and her posse arrived on horse; there were five others accompanying her.  The blonde on a pretty white and black-speckled animal was her right-hand (and, Geoff suspected, lover) Ashley Jenkins, a former contemporary of Burnie’s until she made off like a bandit with a good chunk of his profits.  Geoff couldn’t name the four others.

Turney swung off her horse, a dusky buckskin, and pushed her hat back out of her face.  In the wind, her red hair blew into her face.

“So, Ryan Haywood, didn’t expect to see you here after the last time we talked,” she said, and then she smirked and added, “especially since I put a hole in you right. there.”  She mimed a pistol with her fingers, pointing to right above Ryan’s collarbone.

Geoff saw Ryan’s arm make a tiny aborted movement towards the spot.  “Yeah, it left a bit of an impression,” he said.  “But I think you’ll be interested in this.”

He tossed the brick at her, and to Geoff’s mild regret she caught it, using a knife to slit the end open and peel open the protein bar.

“Top notch quality,” Geoff added.  “And a whole crate of it.  Enough to feed your lot for a solid six months.”

“Six months, eh?”  Turney pretended not to be impressed, Geoff could tell.  “I don’t see it here.”

“Well, you know I’m not gonna just give it to you,” Ryan said, holding up the slip of paper.  “Coordinates to where we buried it.  In exchange, you give us the gold and let us leave.”

Turney frowned, eyes barely glancing at the paper in his hand.  “And what if I just shoot you, keep the gold, _and_ still get the protein?”

Ryan smiled.  “You won’t get the protein in that case.”  With a flourish, he pulled out a lighter and had it lit under the paper in seconds.

“You wouldn’t,” Turney said, eyes narrowed.  “Fine.”  She pulled out a bag from her vest and threw it at Ryan’s feet, spilling coins onto the ground.  At Ryan’s nod, Geoff bent down and gathered it up.

“The paper, please,” Turney said, holding out a hand.

Ryan held it out invitingly, and grudgingly she walked forward to take it.  As they shook hands on it, Turney smirked.

“Now, Haywood, you know it wouldn’t be a _real_ reunion if you didn’t get shot,” she said mockingly, and a shot rang out.

It wasn’t from Turney, though, oh no, it was from the third member of their party, hidden up in the hills with a sniper rifle.

“You tricked us!” Turney yelled, eyes flashing in anger.  Behind her, the buckskin let out a shriek and fell to the ground, bleeding heavily.

“I suggest you let us go in peace, and we won’t kill everyone here,” Ryan breathed, pulling her close by the hand.  “Go get your protein.”

“Next time you won’t be so lucky,” she spat, wrenching her hand free.  As she swung up behind Jenkins, Ryan and Geoff booked it for the mule.

They piled in and sped away, covering ground fast to meet up with Ray on the hillside.  Below in the valley, Geoff watched as the group of horsemen left a trail of dust across the next ridge.

“Well, we’re alive, that’s good,” he said.  Ray laughed as he climbed in, but Ryan was oddly silent.

“Ry?” Geoff asked.  The captain was pale, and a hand was pressed against his neck.  No, not his neck, Geoff realized; his collarbone, the one that hadn’t been shot the last time.

Blood coated Ryan’s hand, and Geoff watched as it relaxed against the gunshot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRANSLATIONS
> 
> _Jien huo_ : Bitch; cheap whore or cheap goods


End file.
